Look at us
by missantagonist1
Summary: Everyone thought that danger is long gone. Yet, when it comes back, Mustang and Hawkeye will do anything to save their beloved country from another meaningless bloodshed.


**Disclaimer that applies to whole fic so I do not need to repeat in every chapter: The only thing I own is plot and original characters.**

Alright guys, few important things before you start reading.

Even if this is a paring story, please do not expect big romances, because I suck at it. By the way, it's **neither yaoi nor yuri**. Only **canon parings** and few others.

It's mostly** manga and FMA: B** canon, but I took characters and some things from FMA'03 (Ed and Al's travels) and games (mostly characters).

I apologise for any grammar, spelling or punctuation mistakes as English is not my first language. If you see any, please tell me and I will make change.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask and I will try to answer you without spoiling anything.

* * *

Mustang tiredly wiped his forehead from sweat. The sunlight that went through a big window behind him was burning his head and his hair colour was not helping the situation.

For the last few weeks of summer the weather was really good. Sun was shining and there was no rain and that meant he was not useless.

Today was another fine day. Families and friends spent their time together, enjoying the weather before October would come and with it, rain. And Mustang hated autumn. It was windy, cool and of course was raining. Central had the worst autumns in the whole Amestris. At least, when he was stationed at East, it didn't rain so much because of the closeness to the Ishval and the Great Desert.

As much as he would like to spend time lounging around, doing nothing, he had work to do. It was nothing new for him. Mustang's massive desk covered with towers of documents, books for references and used pens. Another person would have a problem to find anything in this mess, but to Flame alchemist it was routine. And maybe Hawkeye would have a power to find anything in his artistic mess.

Roy Mustang sighed heavily, moving another boring paperwork to do. Since Fullmetal went back to Resembool **[1]** five years ago, to look after his brother, life in Central City became quite dull. On the other hand, there was no need to fill more paperwork about destroyed buildings, roads, cars or read complains from the sliders or civilians about short, blonde haired brat with mouth from South City to the North City. The military could take a break from Edward Elric; whole Amestris could finally take a break from Elric's brothers.

_Not for long_, Mustang thought with dread. Edward, in less than week (Mustang didn't know exactly when, as he decided that Fullmetal's return was not important for him to be remembered), was coming back from the West. From the letters they wrote to each other, Edward sounded pretty enthusiastic at the thought of coming back to his homeland. Also, his rattletrap did not shut up even during short calls via phone about his present for Winry. Mustang already guessed it was a ring for Miss Rockbell. Well, Mrs Elric in short time.

Fullmetal and marriage. Those two words were oxymoron. At least, that what Mustang thought. He really couldn't imagine Ed in role of a father. Many times, he tried to visualize Edward surrounded with kids, reading them bedtime stories with his loud and brash personality. Al, more subdued, fit a picture with little monster better. And given Ed's and Miss Rockbells' genes, those two would probably create something worse than Elric brothers had been.

Even Alphonse has written to him. However, his letters were thick and much more organised than Ed's. He was also more detailed about his adventures. And from those letters, Roy suspected that journey to Xing, to learn alkahesty, was not the only reason he went there. To be more precise, it was probably about the young princess Mei, who had helped them during Promised Day and saved Riza's life.

Mustang took sharp breath. After his eyesight was took, image of her lying in the puddle of blood hunted him, till he got is sight back. He had never been so happy in his life, as the first sight that greeted him was Riza, healed and alive.

The alchemist stopped for the moment by one thick document, which pulled him out of his dark thoughts. On the top of page, with big and capital letters was printed "ISHVAL PROJECT". He moved the pile on the side.

The Ishval Renovation was his second priority, just after the Führer throne. He started working on it immediately after his eyes and hands were healed. Also, only two months after Grumman got promotion to be Führer, he had lunched the project. Firstly, they had built a hospital and Central building, were officials could command project properly.

Breda was the first one to go there with a mission to keep everything in order. With him, also went Scar and Miles and of course, a group of soldiers that Mustang trusted, i.e., his subordinates from the war. He himself went to Ishval for nearly a year, to see with his own eyes the land's renovation. The Ishvalans, at the beginning didn't trust them much. Mustang wasn't really surprised. After all this suffering they went through, he would also be a bit wary. However, as the time passed, Amestrians and Ishvalans founded mutual language and the renovation met the purpose. There were still small quarrels when two strong and stubborn personalities crashed but it never got to the point of serious fight.

From his old team, only Falman and Havoc were not in the Ishval. The first one was at North, because his wife was expecting for the second time; Havoc, because his mobility still was not so great, and Mustang didn't want to put him into a danger. However, he promised Havoc that once he will be standing on his own legs, he will be back in the game.

In the end, the King cannot go without his Horse.

A quiet knocking pulled out Mustang from his thoughts. After short welcoming, a person, who wanted to see him, came inside.

"Führer Grumman sends extra documents about Ishval, sir. He also asked us to come for a meeting at 4 o'clock, sir." Hawkeye's voice filled room.

With grimace, Mustang looked at the pile of documents from old Grumman. A blond woman in Amestrian State Military stood before his desk. Her hair was shorter, just like Riza's haircut when they were much younger. Her brown eyes were, as always, focused and sharp.

"That man! I think wants me to get overworked." He measured, from up to down, the pile that Riza set straight before him.

"Führer does not do such a thing, sir." Hawkeye as always knew better.

Mustang looked over at clock that hanged by the doors to the outer office. His lips curled into rakish smile. He moved all documents to the side. He saw Hawkeye's eyebrow goes up at his action. He leaned forward and cleared his throat, so his voice would change and sound as if he would flirt with woman.

"What would you say, Lieutenant colonel, if we..." He didn't have a chance to finish, before Riza cut him away.

"Denied!" She said firmly. "You have too full schedule, to allow yourself to go for a longer than twenty minutes break, general."

He laid his chin on two fingers and his smile got bigger. Lieutenant colonel looked a bit confused. She was probably expected him whining and complaining, he thought darkly.

"So, if I had clear schedule, you would go with me?" He asked, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

For a moment Hawkeye stared blankly at him, not saying anything.

"You got me wrong, general. I didn't mean... I… Please finish your work" She said quickly, before leaving the room as general was staring at her intensively.

Mustang chuckled softly, his day already better, but when his gaze fell at piles of documents, he wanted to bang his head against his desk.

* * *

Riza's mouth curled into soft smile when she heard loud, thumping noise, just after she closed the door to the inner office. Leave it to her commanding officer to make her day better. She made mental note to later put the documents in the right order, before submitting them to the Public Affair office.

Hawkeye also tried to ignore the strange behaviour Mustang showed in the office. It wasn't unusual for him to flirt with her; she was his Elizabeth. However, more of this bizarre behaviour started just after Major General Grumman was promoted to the Führer. Mustang more often started forgetting that they were in the work and every once in the while, when they were alone, the general would tried to ask her to go out. It was, as if the Führer and the general made a deal about her.

Shaking her head to chase those thoughts, Riza went straight to her desk that in compare to Mustang's was clean and neat. She preferred when everything was at proper place. It helped to avoid unpleasant situations when superiors came for inspection. How their office passed them, she was still amazed. Additionally, clean area of working helped employee to work more efficiently.

Thus it was not surprising that Mustang's crew needed to be asked more than twice to do their work. Breda and Havoc weren't the neatest person. Where Havoc's desk was usually scattered with bits and pieces of work and empty packs after cigarettes, Breda's table was covered with food (that man had never-ending pit, similar to Fullmetal's) and endless note how to beat the general in chess. Fuery was not any better. His desk was hidden under the electronics.

Hawkeye sighed. Now, their new, bigger office felt unwelcome and unfamiliar without that commotion her comrades could cause. There was no sound of Havoc's and Breda's banter about girls. And as much she heated when they talked about that stuff, she missed it. No familiar sound of Fuery's radio when he tried to catch waves, so they could listen to quiet music. Even Falman's encyclopaedic knowledge was something, she didn't expect to miss. Their little military family had yet to meet again.

"Colonel?** [2]**" A voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

She looked up to meet a gaze of green eyes. Behind her desk, stood young man who was a little taller than the General Mustang. He discharged his military jacked and Riza could clearly see muscles under black, short-sleeved turtleneck. Just by one look, Hawkeye could tell that the man had not experienced a real battle. Yes, his eyes spoke with an experience but not that kind of she, General Mustang and some other older soldiers had.

"Yes, Lieutenant Dornier?" She tried to sound professionally despite those unpleasant memories coming back.

"Are you feeling alright? I talk to you for some time, and you weren't responding, sir."

"Everything is alright," Riza took deep breath "Did you delivered what I asked you to?"

"Yeah, Colonel Armstrong was a bit too ecstatic about those documents." Dornier laughed nervously, making his way to his clean desk. "Maybe, I imagine myself things, but I think I seen sparkle after he said that the technique of collecting and signing military paperwork has been passed down the Armstrong family line for generations. That was quite strange thing to say. "

"Sorry to disappoint you, but you didn't imagine it. And yes, Colonel Armstrong is known for his joyous persona about his family and his infamous techniques," Then she added quietly for herself, "Unfortunately."

They started working in a silence again. Words were not needed. New member of Mustang team was fully capable to work efficiently, and Riza didn't need to force him to work, unlike certain commanding officer and the rest of the guys, who need more than five minutes to pull themselves together and start working.

After their little team went in different ways, Führer Grumman, giving some pitiable reasons, assigned two more members to the team. Where, Lieutenant Dornier had some previous experience in the fighting and was known for his skill with explosive materials, the second member was still nearly fresh for the military academy with a rank of the corporal. Führer thought, that having the corporal working with infamous Mustang team will help the corporal to increase his self-confidence and Mustang might need some young bones in his group. Of course, the general was not happy for being called old. For a half of the day, he was also whining, that when he finally got a rid of Fullmetal, another youngster come. However, as soon as the new members came, he was again 'arrogant Bastard' as Edward would certainly call him.

Once in a while, Hawkeye checked time, knowing that when the general start working, he would lose track of time. It was another office mystery that the boys tried to solve. Why Mustang founded doing paperwork hard, but once he started it, he cannot stop? There would not be enough fingers to count how many time Fuery lost bet because of their speculations and was walking around hungry for nearly a week.

Now speaking of Fuery, the only one that stayed with them, she had not seen him nearly for a whole day. They saw each other briefly in the morning by the reception and then, the young and newly promoted first lieutenant went missing.

"Dornier," She started to get the man's attention. "Have you seen Fuery?"

Soldier stopped writing for a moment. Thoughtful expression crossed his face as he bit a pen he was writing. "Now, that you mentioned him, colonel, I think I saw him by the investigation. He carried a tangle of cables and he was moving quickly."

Riza sighed quietly. "Thank you."

"Do you need him, sir? If yes, I can go and get him. It is not a problem," He started rising from his chair, but Riza stopped him with hand gesture.

"No, there is no need as the general and I are going in that direction. Thank you."

Hawkeye cleaned her desk before rising and walking straight to Mustang's office. This time she went without knocking.

Seeing her boss working hard was pleasant view. Two towers of paperwork were gone and the third one was half way through. Focus was printed on his face as he read and signed documents.

However, once he felt that he is not alone in the room, he looked up at her and black eyebrow went up. "I'm working." He said confused, indicating with pen his paperwork.

Mentally, Riza smiled at how trained her commanding officer become. "I can see that, sir. It's time to go see Führer, however."

"Right, I had completely forgotten about that. Thank you." He got up from his desk and with relieved expression crossed room to stand meter from her.

Even from this distance she could smell him. The sweat, formed because of sun, and his smell was pleasant for her nose. He was looking at her with expression she could not read. And that didn't happen many times.

Since he came to live with them, to learn alchemy, she could practically read him like a book, after spending nights together in the father's library. It came as a useful skill especially after the Ishval and when Brigadier General Hughes was murdered or when nightmares and flashbacks came during the day. For some on the side, Mustang's masks were perfect but to his adjutant, every mask he would wear, each had imperfection. And when she could not read him, it meant there was new mask to learn and that something happened and they never dealt with it. "Ready?" Hawkeye asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Yeah, let's go." He walked out from the inner office and she trailed behind him like a shadow, watching his back and protecting from straying.

* * *

Fuery moved another full box of cables and put it on the ceiling high shelf. Then he turned around and with a miserable expression he looked at a mountain of boxes before him. One was nearly as high as he was.

"It will take longer than I thought." He said to himself.

Even though it was nearly four years from Promised Day the equipment, that had been used in coup, was dumped without care of it proper place. And now, when he needed to use a communicator, he could not find a cable to give it a power.

He rolled his sleeves up to the elbows, so they would not get dirty, and he kneeled next to another box.

A loud sneeze came from him, when a big cloud of dust got inside of his nostrils. It was followed by another two or three sneezes. When he finally finished, his nose was full and eyes stung with unbidden tears.

"Why me?!" He whined pitifully, rubbing his eyes against shoulders.

After he sloppily whipped his nose against his forearm, Fuery started looking again through the boxes. It was tedious task as cables were tangled and he had a hard time to find beginnings and the ends. Another problem was that the wires looked similar and some of them were lacking the ends.

Kain slowly and carefully untangled wire after wire, and he was so focused on the task, that he didn't hear a door, to magazine with electronics, opened. Only when a small hand clapped on his shoulder, he had frozen.

The memories of warehouse 13 **[3]** came to his mind. However, this time he was alone. No Falman, no Breda or General Mustang. He didn't count Havoc in. The ex-lieutenant was in his own world after he was dumped by Lieutenant colonel Armstrong's younger sister – Katherine.

"Is everything alright, Lieutenant Fuery?" Kain nearly jumped out of his skin hearing a feminine voice. Slowly, he looked over his shoulder.

His nose touched another nose. Curious and almost black eyes were staring at him. He made a low pitching noise and crawled away from the female, he know recognised.

"Sheska!" He shouted.

"Huh?" The girl straightened up with innocent expression on her flushed face.

"What are you doing here?" Now that his heart started beating normally, he returned to his task.

"Oh, I saw half-open door and the light was coming, so I went to check it." She smiled at him.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack!" He cry out.

"Really! I didn't mean!" The brown-haired girl started apologizing hastily.

"It's alright. I should have been more aware of surrounding."

Sheska narrowed her eyes, crouching down next to him. "But, what you are doing?"

Fuery sighed heavily. "I am trying to find a cable for a communicator. General Fox asked me to find it in the morning and now, I am sitting here. Colonel Hawkeye probably wonders where I am."

"Which communicator? I might be able to help you." The woman crouched next to him.

"That would be nice. It's a new model of Com5. Have you seen it?" He asked pleadingly.

Sheska scratched her chin, thinking. Her forefinger rested on mouth as she always did when thinking intensively.

"I know! Colonel Douglas's subordinate had it on his desk. I remember reading the words on the box from this equipment."

"What! You mean I spent whole day here for no reason!" Fuery shouted loudly. If Sheska had not come, he would be still playing with tangle wires. Fuery rose from the ground. "Come on!" He automatically caught the bookworm's hand and started dragging her along.

Quickly, he closed the magazine door with his foot and went in direction to Colonel Douglas' office. With a relieved smile on his face, he counted turns as they made their way through the maze of hallways at military headquarters in the Central.

After sixth turn they saw Lieutenant General Mustang with Lieutenant Colonel Hawkeye. General had absent look as he walked through the empty corridor. However, as soon as he saw them, he smirked, "Lieutenant Fuery, and here I thought you had disappeared."

Fuery felt his cheeks heating up. He stuttered, "Sorry, general, but General Fox asked me to deliver him one of the communicator, and I would spend whole day in magazine if Sheska had not shown up.

Mustang raised his left eyebrow. "Well, lieutenant, next time just say that you want to spent time in company of young, lovely girl."

"Wha-!" Fuery look horrified at his commanding officer. With the corner of eye he could see that Sheska's face was also bight from the embarrassment.

"General, we don't have time for your jokes. The Führer awaits you." Fuery was so glad that general never went anywhere without his adjutant.

"Way to ruin the fun, Hawkeye." Mustang snorted quietly. "After you deliver that communicator, go to our office. I am sure that Fuhrer will have something that I will need to relay to you."

"Yes, sir!" Fuery saluted and watched his superiors disappearing around the corner. Slowly, he looked at Sheska, who was still pinkish. He smiled at her uncomfortably.

Then he realised why the general would say that such thing. Sheska's and his hand were still connected. He was so focused on going to the Colonel Douglas that he had not realised that he grabbed her hand. If it was possible, the air around them got even more awkward.

"I… I…" He stammered again. And it was no wonder that guys at office had such fun when they were speaking about girls and he would blush brightly.

Sheska looked equally uncomfortable as he was. She wasn't looking at him but at the white wall next to her. She gently erased her hand out of his.

The silence between them was still present, when they started their way to the Douglas. Cure the general for saying that. If he would not, they would probably never notice that they were holding the hands.

Fuery scratch his neck feeling g itching. He was blushing again. His comrades will never let this down. And this time there will be not Falman to save him, when they would corner him at the Mess. The colonel usually has her break together with the General Mustang, so he will be doomed.

* * *

Grumman's office looked exactly the same as Bradley's, but the current Führer added the small rounded table with the old set of chess. It was the first thing that Roy glanced at. Their little game was not finished and this might be the second time he might win the game and beat the old man. He deserved that after all those win in the Eastern Headquarter.

The Führer himself sat comfortable on that god-awful sofa, with flamboyant pattern, he had brought from his old office. The elderly man was playing with his long, grey moustache. He smiled at them, and with a hand indicated the loveseat, that was twin to his sofa, for them to sit. On the coffee table, between sofas, stood teapot and three china cups.

"Good to see you, kids." Grumman's wrinkled mouth curled into sly smile that Mustang was so familiar. The old man used it when he was planning something. And for the last few months all his plan were related to him and his colonel. He nearly became second Maes with 'you need to find yourself a wife! You aren't getting younger with each year!'

"Good afternoon, sir." They both answered.

Mustang sat next to his adjutant stiffly, feeling like blushing academy cadet that had never been near any woman. He hated when Führer was trying to set up him with his only granddaughter. It wasn't their business. Well, maybe Grumman had a bit to talk, but just to talk.

"Has something happened, sir?"

"Why, can't I just meet with you?" Grumman asked innocently, but moment later he got serious. "You are aware of our relationship with Drachma, Aerugo and Creta, right?" When they nodded, he continued, "Yesterday, I received a letter from the Prince Claudio in respect of ambassadors meeting.

"Ambassadors meeting?" Roy asked confused. "If I remember correctly from academy lessons, those meetings were stopped as soon as Bradley took over the country."

"That's correct. We all remember the last visit of the Prince. **[4]**" Mustang grimaced. Who would not remember that visit? The attack on the Prince Claudio, ending-up in the prison (with Fullmetal), nearly losing the Colonel Hawkeye…

Mustang sighed. "Is he coming to Amestris, again?"

Grumman took a sip of his tea, "Unfortunately, yes. However, this might be our chance to negotiate the long deserved peace between our countries. They, Prince Claudio, General Field Marshal Anton Nikolayev **[5]**, and President **[6]** Caden Whitmore, want to have the ambassador meeting, but it would appear that they will come personally."

Roy decided that it was good time to drink that delicious tea - prepared by Grumman's secretary - during the old man speech, choked violently on the drink. He heard Hawkeye sighing and the moment later she not-so-gently patted him on his back. "Are they crazy? World's most important leader wants to meet in one place!" He exclaimed, when he could breathe again.

"Easy, Mustang, there is enough tea!" The old man laughed half-heartedly. "I had the same reaction. However, if we want a little bit of peace, we cannot refuse. The refuse would, most likely, mean that we still want to fight with them."

"Is that the only reason you had called as?" Riza, who was silent during the entire conversation, spoke as if the information was something they hear every day.

"Yes. The two of you are, for now, my most trusted subordinates. We all know that Bradley's supporters are still there, sitting in the dark. Even in the military. Besides, when I had called General Armstrong in the morning, she refuse saying she will not entertained those buffoons. So, you are the only ones to take that job." The old man smiled like a sly fox that caught chicken.

"That's an honour, sir," Hawkeye spoke, before Roy could open his mouth, "What job we are required to do? Security, sir?"

Grumman chortled loudly, twisting his moustache around his finger. "Yes, as a security but as well as the leading pair that will entertain our guests of honour. Their most likely come with families."

Mustang was so glad that he wasn't drinking tea, because it would probably try to kill him again. "I can actually see why Ice Queen had refused to came here…" Roy muttered under his nose.

"Sir…"

He ignored her and continued, but louder. "When they are coming? We need to accommodate families and any guest they would bring." He asked evenly, changing into 'I'm-in-the-general-mode'.

"Three days." Was all what Grumman said, before he stood, bade goodbye and walked out of the office. _Probably to molest and harass Catalina_, Mustang thought darkly. Führer's security scrambled after Grumman, screaming to wait.

After few silent minutes, Mustang spoke first. "Lieutenant," He started. "Please tell me that Fullmetal's coming back has nothing with this charade.

"Of course it has nothing with Edward."

"Somehow, I'm not reassured. Knowing Elrics, nothing is impossible. There are like two big magnets for big troubles that come from each side of the world." Mustang whispered harshly, standing up.

"Sir, please do not exaggerated. They are just boys." Hawkeye said before falling behind him.

* * *

Seeing yellow tapes of military police Armstrong narrowed his blue eyes. Whole building was surrounded by MP. Civilians stood behind the tapes, talking between themselves and sending curious looks at the crime scene. The reporters, from radios and televisions were already here and were trying to question MP and soldiers.

"Lieutenant Colonel!" Young military police officer saluted to him as he came closer. "It's good to have you here, sir."

"Thank you. What happened?" He asked seriously.

"Please come after me." The MP led him through secured doors.

On the left side of the build, Armstrong saw small, gold rectangle with black letters and it read, "Attorney Thomas Nelson."

"Yes, the deceased is this old man. The coroner is nearly ready to take him to morgue for further dissection."

Armstrong patiently went after the officer. Firstly, they went through the living room then kitchen and then upstairs. The repeating theme of rooms was obviously big mess. Each room he had been destroyed. The victim must have fought or the murderer was looking for something and in his, or maybe her, furious state demolished furniture.

"Do you know if anything been stolen?" He asked looking around, fully knowing that he would not find anything. It was his first visit at this attorney house, however his name sounded familiar.

"We suspect that some old cases' folders are missing. In the cabinet, where the victim is, the bookcase with them was in complete mess. You will need to take all folders to investigation.

"I understand that, but I still don't know why a mere attorney would need a military investigation?" He asked the question that was pressing on his tongue.

The officer stopped and looked up, so he had eye contact with tall military officer, "Nelson was the leading attorney in the military murder case in the 1890s. The main suspect was never captured. But 13 officers were killed."

"Now that you reminded the Unlucky Thirteen, I can only thing about revenge, but way after thirty years? It doesn't make any sense." He crossed his arms and went inside the cabinet that they stopped in front of.

As the rest, the room was also destroyed. The furniture was upside down. Papers, books and feathers from pillows were scattered around the room looking as if winter had already come to this household.

The next thing that caught his attention was the victim's body sprawled by the west wall. Hands were pierced and stuck to the wall. The old man's stomach was ripped; the crimson was soaking his shirt, pants and the floor beneath the body. Wide and frightened eyes were staring into emptiness.

Above the lifeless, tilled head something was written in blood, and that made Armstrong hold his breath violently.

_Veni, vidi, vic _**[7]**

* * *

Winry smiled at Elicia warmly. The little girl was quietly sitting, not counting her legs that moved energetically under the table, next to her mother, eating strawberry ice cream. Big, happy grin was stuck on her lips and hazel eyes were shining brightly. She was looking more and more like the late Brigadier General Hughes and less like her mother. It were small things, but Winry could clearly see them. The way Elicia moved, her mannerism, grimaces he made. She was an exact image of her dead father.

"It's good to see you, Winry." She took her gaze from the child to a brown-haired woman. Gracia had soft smile on her lips.

"You too, Mrs Hughes-"

Elicia broke her away. "And me. You are happy to see me, right?" She asked with childish innocence.

"Elicia! What did I say before? Don't interrupt people when they are speaking." Mrs Hughes scolded her child. The little girl pouted laying her chin on the table and apologised quietly under her nose.

Winry smiled, taking a sip of a coffee, "You too as well." The girl's face lit up instantly.

It was really good to see them safe and sound. She knew that Alphonse visited them just before he left to Xing with those two chimeras - Zampano and Jerso. The last time she saw Hughes' girls was when she and Elric's brothers came back to Central and they discovered that Mr Hughes is dead.

Winry sighed.

"How are you? We haven't spoken much after it happened?" Even after six years, it was painful to speak about that hyperactive photographer.

"It's been good," She nodded to emphasis her point "Rush Valley is quite busy town. And automail is always needed. Besides, I take now private visits if someone could not get to Mr Garfield place."

"That's really generous of you, Winry." She felt her face getting redder and redder at woman's words.

"It's nothing, really! Just helping people!" The teenager explained quickly, weaving her hand nervously.

"But, how are things here? Rush Valley is quite boring with automail only. And the weather can be sometimes tiresome."

"Hmmm, nothing really new," Gracia took a bite of her cake. "Same old life, maybe a bit more peaceful. Not much happened after that day."

"I think, whole Amestris became quieter and the country finally has time to heal herself after those fights." Winry agreed quietly.

She looked around; the café was full inside, so they were sitting outside, enjoying sun's touch. Around them were people, whom also didn't mind the heat. Noises of High Street were coming for all directions – students, families, friends and couples.

"And, how are you, Elicia?"

The girl beamed at her, "Last week, at school, we had a big performance! There were many people. And I had the main role!"

"Really? What did you performed?" If it was possible, the girl's smile got bigger.

"I was Laura, the princess, who had to dress as a man, so she could help her best friend because she was in trouble."

"Oh, it's a shame that I didn't come earlier, so I could go and see you."

"It's alright," Elicia said shaking her head with mannerism that only child can do. "Uncle Roy was there, so mommy wasn't sitting alone." She took a big spoon of her ice creams.

"Uncle Roy…" Winry stifled giggle. Somehow, she just could not imagine Lieutenant General Mustang, with his stiff and always professional air around, being called something as simple as 'uncle'. Now, she really wanted to come to Central earlier. Seeing Mustang surrounded by parents and siblings of players would be quite interesting sight.

"Roy agreed to go after Elicia plead him. She didn't even have to finish her request and Roy quickly said that he will go. Unfortunately for him, Miss Hawkeye was beside him and I heard her saying," Gracia lowered her voice pitch and said with even tone, "Sir, going to Elicia's performance will not save you from your unfinished paperwork. Poor Roy, nonetheless it was quite entertaining to hear that."

They laughed loudly and Mustang expense. Even Elicia, who probably didn't understand the hilarity of Mustang situation.

Gracia suddenly got serious but the gleam in her eye told otherwise. "I heard that Edward is coming back this week."

"Yeah, Granny and I can't wait. It has been long time." Winry smiled softly. The thought of Edward coming back made her chest feel heavy from those exiting emotions. They didn't see each other nearly three years. It wasn't new for Edward to be away, but even when he chased after Philosopher Stone he would always come back to the Resembool. To the place he was always trying to avoid, because of the past. And while speaking of the past, every time Edward would cross her mind, the memory of their strange and a bit unromantic proposal would also pop out in her mind…

She looked at Gracia with confident expression and the smirk, "Yeah, he will be here in three days and he better have automail perfect, or else…"

* * *

**[1]** Resembool, Mei, Sheska, Elicia, Ishval, Gracia. There are few other spellings of those words but I will be using those above.

**[2]** You can address lieutenant colonel as a colonel. The same case with lieutenant/major/brigadier general can be addressed as a general.

**[3]** Warehouse 13 was mini-story in the FMA Light Novel: The Land of Sand. In the manga omake, (Vol. 7 Ch. 29.5), Havoc had date with Katherine.

**[4]** FMA: Prince of the Dawn, and its sequel Daughter of the Dawn. Games for Wii console, which is shame because the storyline is great. The Manga has the prologue Vol.23 Ch.95.5. I won't go into greater details, because I didn't play that game – just watched walkthroughs/gameplays on Youtube.

**[5] **General Field Marshal is real Russian military rank. I used the Table of Rank used in Imperial Russia that was established in the 1722 and demolished in 1917. However, Drachma will still use this ranking. The name of the officer is fictional, by the way.

**[6] **President, because Creta is federation country and had Central Government. And my first thought about federations was America, thus here Creta is equivalence to USA. Name of president is also fictional.

**[7] '**_Veni, vidi, vici'_ simply means 'I came, I saw, I conquered.' It was said by Julius Caesar. And yes it is Latin, so is Riza's tattoo, otherwise I would not be using it.

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12 pages monster! Chapter two will be a bit shorter, maybe to 3-4k words.

I will try to update within two weeks. However, now I have lots of work from my College, so the update might take longer. But I will update.


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